Building High-Impact Leadership Teams:
The Key Behaviors Every Tech CEO Needs to Spot in Their Talent
If you want a leadership team that can solve complex problems and fuel growth, focus on these key behaviors: Motivation for Task Achievement, Curiosity and Learning, and Communication.
The Key Behaviors Every Tech CEO Needs to Spot in Their Talent
Tech CEOs need fast innovation and teams that deliver under pressure. But finding the right leadership talent is tough, especially when success depends on behaviors that drive teamwork and creativity, not just technical skills. Therefore, if you want a leadership team that can solve complex problems and fuel growth, focus on these key behaviors: Motivation for Task Achievement, Curiosity and Learning, and Communication. Let’s dive into how these behaviors can help you spot and build high-potential leaders on your team.
Drawing from our research on the behavior sets of successful CEOs, let’s examine how these behaviors can help you identify high-potential leaders already within your teams and select the right people to join them.
1. Motivation for Task Achievement: The Foundation of High Performance
When it comes to innovation, the first and most essential behavior is a strong motivation for task achievement. Without this, even the most curious or communicative individuals may struggle to execute ideas quickly and efficiently. This behavior set is evident in individuals who not only set goals but relentlessly pursue and accomplish them. In the words of Sam Altman at Y Combinator, they are the people who “get a lot of stuff done quickly.”
Identifying this behavior in potential leaders provides a foundation for building a team that can perform at a high pace. But task achievement alone is not enough, especially in companies that thrive on innovation and teamwork. For leadership roles that demand continuous growth and adaptability, two other behaviors stand out: Curiosity and Learning and Communication.
2. Curiosity and Learning: Identifying the Knowledge Builders
In an innovation-driven organization, a key indicator of leadership potential is the way individuals consume knowledge and engage in the exchange of ideas. True innovation leaders approach learning not as a solo venture but as a collaborative exploration. They’re not just solving isolated problems; they’re leveraging the team’s collective knowledge and networks to accelerate their understanding.
A high-potential leader in this area has a natural inclination to ask questions and gather knowledge directly from others. Rather than starting with a solitary research dive, their instinct is to reach out, assessing whether a line of inquiry has been explored within their network. This approach offers two main advantages:
Efficiency in Learning: They can quickly gauge whether an area has already been explored and obtain a direction or “quick read” on the next steps.
Effective Questioning and Listening: The way they ask questions is purposeful and strategic. They start with short, open questions, actively listen, and adapt to the speaker’s vocabulary and perspective. This results in a deeper connection and understanding, allowing them to extract insights quickly.
For example, instead of directly seeking a recommendation for a book on product strategy, they might simply ask, “What’s the last book you talked about?” The subject matter is less relevant than the desire to engage with others’ interests. Leaders who display this broad curiosity are more likely to bring fresh perspectives and insights to the team, fostering innovation.
3. Communication: Building Shared Vocabulary and Team Alignment
Once they’ve gathered insights, natural leaders use communication to create a shared understanding across the team. They bridge ideas by adapting their language to resonate with their audience, fostering an environment where everyone can contribute. In a group setting, this communication style enables them to build a unified vocabulary that helps align the team, creating clarity and cohesion.
Such leaders demonstrate an authentic interest in others' viewpoints, which leads to greater inclusion and collaboration. When someone displays a knack for asking insightful questions and translating complex information into shared language, they’re displaying a key leadership trait for innovation companies.
Spotting High-Potential Talent in Action
When it comes to innovation, high-potential leaders stand out by their ability to leverage three critical resources: internal teams, broader networks, and customer insights.
Internal Knowledge Base: They first turn to their teammates, quickly gathering information to form a foundational knowledge base. This also engages team members, giving them a sense of ownership and motivation.
Broader Networks: If additional insights are needed, they look to their extended networks, demonstrating the value of broad and deep connections. This approach is especially effective in fast-moving industries, where speed and relevance of information are key.
Customer Engagement: Finally, if gaps remain, they engage with customers to refine ideas or solutions. This customer-centric approach keeps the organization aligned with market needs and helps shape innovative, customer-focused solutions.
This approach to consuming and sharing information builds a collaborative, innovation-focused culture where teams are empowered to solve challenges with efficiency and agility. As leaders draw from diverse perspectives within and beyond the organization, they foster a sense of ownership among team members, creating a self-sustaining motivation to accomplish goals.
Creating a Flywheel of Achievement and Innovation
When you combine Motivation for Task Achievement with this style of Curiosity and Learning and Effective Communication, you create a powerful flywheel. Teams with leaders who embody these behaviors tend to execute faster, learn continuously, and maintain a shared vision for innovation. By identifying these traits in current team members or potential hires, you position your company to build a high-performing leadership team that can scale and thrive.
To those tech CEOs looking to amplify their leadership pipeline, this approach provides a roadmap to finding—and fostering—the unicorn leaders who will propel your organization forward. Please feel free to reach out to us, and let’s discuss how we can help build your unicorn.
Tim@corporate.bc.ca · Amanda@corporate.bc.ca · Darrell@corporate.bc.ca
AI Talent in British Columbia: How Tech Leaders are Building Future-Ready Teams
As AI reshapes the future, the right talent will determine who leads the charge
Introduction:
Artificial Intelligence is at the forefront of all leaders' minds in the fast-evolving tech ecosystem of British Columbia. Startups and mid-sized companies in the Seed to Series C stage are navigating the dual pressures of scaling rapidly and staying competitive. At the core of this challenge is the ability to attract, retain, and leverage top-tier AI talent—a critical component for future-proofing their organizations. The CIO of a forward-thinking Vancouver-based company (anonymized for this paper) shared insights into how they harnessed AI talent to transform their operations, paving the way for product commercialization and scaling.
The AI Talent Landscape in British Columbia
British Columbia is emerging as a hub for AI development, with significant government and private sector investment flowing into AI initiatives. Companies that can identify and capitalize on AI talent are positioning themselves to lead in the region's competitive landscape. According to recent data, BC's tech sector grew by 10% in 2023 alone, and AI is playing a pivotal role in this expansion.
The Talent Challenge
For entrepreneurial companies, securing AI talent is not just about recruitment—it’s about creating the right environment for this talent to thrive. One CIO from a local tech company explains, "AI specialists are hard to find, and when we do, they are expensive. The key is not just hiring them but integrating their work with our product teams and development cycles." This challenge is compounded by the need for cross-disciplinary collaboration between AI developers, product managers, and business strategists.
The ideal AI professional resembles a “decathlete,” blending multiple skills like software development, quality assurance (QA), and user experience with business analysis and project management. AI specialists must be versatile and able to collaborate across departments to align their work with business objectives. This holistic approach ensures AI projects are integrated into the larger company vision and not siloed away as separate initiatives.
The CIO's company initially faced high turnover in its AI department due to misalignment between AI-driven projects and core business goals. They soon realized the importance of cultural fit, strong leadership, and clear communication in maintaining team cohesion.
How AI is Reshaping the Organizational Structure
Building an AI-driven team means reshaping traditional development models. In this anonymized case, the CIO took a hybrid approach, blending internal AI development with external partnerships. "It’s not enough to hire a few data scientists and hope for the best. We needed a robust framework where AI is integrated into every aspect of product development and customer engagement," he noted. AI specialists worked closely with product teams to ensure that AI solutions were practical, scalable, and aligned with customer needs.
Data Governance and AI Success
The company’s journey also highlighted the critical role of data governance in AI success. According to the CIO, "AI thrives on data, but bad data can be worse than no data at all." The company’s initial AI projects failed to deliver results due to inconsistent data governance practices. They implemented a rigorous data cleansing process, improving the quality of data that fed into their AI models. With clean, well-structured data, the company was able to unlock the full potential of AI, from predictive analytics to customer personalization.
Predictive Analytics and Business Growth
AI’s biggest impact on the business has been in predictive analytics. By leveraging AI-powered forecasting models, the company was able to significantly enhance its decision-making processes, particularly in product development and customer service. The CIO remarked, "AI allows us to predict customer needs before they even know them. This level of insight has completely changed the way we develop products and interact with customers." The predictive capabilities also extended to supply chain management, reducing costs and improving efficiency.
A Balanced Approach to AI Adoption
The key takeaway from this company’s experience was the importance of a balanced approach to AI adoption. "AI can’t replace human ingenuity and leadership," the CIO emphasized. "Our success has come from blending human expertise with AI’s capabilities, not from trying to substitute one for the other."
As AI continues to evolve, this company’s experience serves as a valuable lesson for other startups looking to build AI-powered teams. By focusing on both talent acquisition and organizational alignment, they have positioned themselves for sustainable growth in the AI era.
Conclusion: Building AI-Driven Teams for the Future
For technology startups in British Columbia, success in the AI era will depend on more than just access to cutting-edge technology. It will require a thoughtful approach to team building, where AI specialists are fully integrated into the company's culture and operations. As this anonymized case study shows, those who can effectively combine human leadership with AI innovation will be well-positioned to lead the next wave of tech growth in BC.
As AI reshapes the future, the right talent will determine who leads the charge. Let’s discuss how we can help you build a team that drives innovation and scales with your business.
Tim@corporate.bc.ca Amanda@corporate.bc.ca Darrell@corporate.bc.ca Don@corporate.bc.ca
“AI is everywhere, and it will change industries and society in ways we can’t yet predict. But at its core, AI is a tool for amplifying human potential. The key is ensuring it serves humanity’s best interests as we navigate this transformative era.”
Work From Home vs Hybrid vs Return To Office: Strategic Insights for a New Era of Work
WFH vs Hybrid vs RTO: Strategic Insights for a New Era of Work
As we navigate the evolving dynamics of work, the debate surrounding Work From Home (WFH), Hybrid models, and Return to Office (RTO) is becoming increasingly relevant. From a systems theory perspective, using economic assumptions, each model presents unique challenges and opportunities that go beyond the individual employee’s preferences. Instead, the real question is how these models impact company productivity and valuation.
To dive deeper, let’s examine three critical factors: the type of work, how productivity is measured, and the ultimate connection to company performance.
1. Output-Driven Roles: The Digital Production Line
In roles where tasks are output-driven and don’t require substantial collaboration between employees—think production lines or certain operational functions—productivity remains relatively unaffected by the shift to WFH. Why? The lack of interaction between colleagues doesn’t directly impede output. Systems can be optimized for remote work as long as the right tools are in place, and individual contributions can easily be measured. For these roles, whether employees are in the office or working from their kitchen table, the end result is consistent, and company valuation remains stable.
2. Creative and Hierarchical Environments: The Case for RTO
On the flip side, creative or innovative companies, where collaboration is essential to refine, develop, and execute new ideas, thrive in an in-person environment. RTO becomes a significant factor in their success. Whether it’s brainstorming sessions or rapid prototyping, face-to-face interaction fuels the creative process.
The energy of a packed office, with everyone racing to get stuff done, is infectious. This holds true in both large corporations and fast-paced startups. When people are immersed in a high-pressure, fast-moving environment, ideas tend to flow faster, feedback loops tighten, and execution speeds up.
Hierarchical organizations, particularly those with a 'command and control' structure, also see a spike in productivity with RTO. In fields like investment banking, where senior managers are driving junior associates to meet tight deadlines and deliver analyses or presentations, the physical office amplifies productivity. The pressure is palpable when someone is standing over your desk—a level of urgency that’s hard to replicate digitally. In these cases, WFH or even hybrid models tend to fall short in driving the same level of real output.
3. Hybrid Models: Balancing Interaction and Execution
For many companies, however, the optimal solution may lie in the middle—hybrid work models. This setup works best in environments that require a balance of interactive ideation with periods of sustained, focused execution. Consider companies that need two or three days of collaborative group work—whether it’s ideation, strategic planning, or problem-solving—and then another two or three days for individual tasks like writing code, drafting copy, or designing plans.
In these environments, hybrid models can foster the best of both worlds: maintaining the creative energy of the office while preserving the autonomy and flexibility that WFH offers. The challenge, of course, lies in structuring this system efficiently so that productivity gains from both environments are maximized.
Final Thoughts: The Path Forward for Companies
In the end, smaller, nimble, innovative companies will need to carefully choose their path. Office rent, commuting times, and employee freshness all have a tangible and predictable impact on corporate productivity. As companies scale, the amortization of costs like rent and commuting time across a larger workforce diminishes their impact on productivity.
However, one caution: while it may be tempting to emulate the likes of Amazon or other large corporations, unless you have 100,000+ employees, their strategies might not work for your company. Every organization must tailor its approach to fit its unique needs.
“At Wealthsimple, leadership is not about wielding authority but fostering an environment of collaboration and mutual respect. This approach cultivated a culture where the team is encouraged to contribute ideas, challenge norms, and share in the mission of the company.”
Inside the Minds of Unicorn Builders
Discover the six behaviors, traits, and characteristics that successful entrepreneurial leaders have in common.
Unveiling the Six Behavior Sets of Successful Entrepreneurs
In the dynamic world of entrepreneurship, success often appears as a blend of innovation, risk-taking, and sheer determination. However, a closer examination reveals that successful entrepreneurs consistently exhibit specific behavior sets that differentiate them from their peers. In my book, Inside the Mind of Unicorn Builders, I delve into these six behavior sets that define the most successful entrepreneurial leaders. Here, we explore these behaviors and understand why they are crucial for building a successful platform to create high-value companies.
1. Motivated by Task Achievement
A relentless pursuit of task completion drives successful entrepreneurs. This behavior is more than just discipline; it’s about finding genuine joy in getting stuff done. This intrinsic motivation propels them forward, ensuring continuous progress and momentum in their ventures. Not only is done better than perfect, it is more satisfying. But why?
2. Comfort with Ambiguity and Structure
In the unpredictable landscape of startups, making decisions with limited data is a daily reality. Successful entrepreneurs thrive in ambiguity, using systematic approaches to fill in gaps and make informed decisions quickly. If you are building something new, taking the first bold step forward is the only way to know if you are on the right path. There is never time to do it right, but there is always time to do it twice. Counterintuitive, isn’t it?
3. Capacity and Tenacity
The entrepreneurial journey is fraught with challenges. Capacity and tenacity are what separate those who persevere from those who falter. Successful entrepreneurs handle overwhelming workloads with grace and remain calm under pressure. Their resilience inspires their teams, driving collective efforts toward ambitious goals. However, everyone is human, and how they pick themselves up and press forward is genuinely inspiring.
4. Curiosity and Learning
Lifelong learning is at the heart of entrepreneurial success. Successful entrepreneurs possess a broad curiosity that extends beyond their immediate business interests. They constantly seek new knowledge, ask insightful questions, and apply what they have learned to creatively solve problems and innovate. However, it is how they consume their knowledge that changes the game.
5. Effective Communication
Effective communication is a cornerstone of leadership. Successful entrepreneurs are exceptional listeners who tailor their messages to their audience. Why is it that exceptional communicators also have exceptional empathy?
6. Leadership through Empowerment
True leaders achieve success through their teams. Successful entrepreneurs delegate responsibilities with clear goals, allowing their team members the freedom to innovate and execute their tasks in their own way. But the zen of entrepreneurial leadership is hands-on laissez-faire. Does that not bend your mind a bit?
Are you ready to uncover the secrets of entrepreneurial success? Dive deeper into these behaviors by exploring Inside the Mind of Unicorn Builders. Start your journey in learning the DNA of successful entrepreneurial leaders!
“You need to model the behavior you want to see from your team as you go through challenging times.”
Inform. Decide. Grow.
The Unicorn Builders
Meet Your Team
What’s Going on Out There: June 2023
Corporate Recruiters specializes in building technology companies, and we are at the epicentre of the supply & demand for tech talent in Vancouver. What we read in the news often doesn’t reflect what we see on the ground. We thought you might be interested in hearing about our experiences.
In December 2022, we provided a summary of our tech labour market, and it is time to give an update for June 2023. The tech layoffs of 2022 and 2023 made great headlines, but in reality, they had a minor impact on the tech labour market.
Hiring Freezes? Perhaps a few, but …
The Big 5 Tech companies have laid off anywhere from 5% to 20% of their workforce in the last 12 months. However, this is not the whole story. From 2018 to 2021, the same tech firms grew headcount by 50% to over 100%. This represents a net growth of well over 50% over the last five years. The demand and shortage created by this growth made it difficult for small and midsized technology companies to grow. Now these companies are picking up the slack, even though the Big 5 are reducing their demand for new talent.
Flexible Upwards Sticky Down
The law of pricing in economics is “prices are flexible upwards but sticky downwards,” which we are witnessing in the market. Even though more people are interested in discussing new employment opportunities, there has been no change in their compensation and benefits demands. Fewer people are chasing money, and they are more risk-averse.
CEO Talent Survey Data
We surveyed Technology CEOs in the early Spring and confirmed our December conclusions. More good quality talent was on the market, but difficult and expensive to hire. Only 20% of the CEOs responded positively to picking up some high-quality talent from the large tech companies; 30% indicated a distinct mismatch in compensation demands vs actual ability, and the majority did not see any exciting candidate resumes.
Even with the SVB news, over 60% of CEOs still listed access to talent as their number one pain point and access to capital as a second or third concern. Working from home and managing culture was the least concerning, indicating that flexible & hybrid work models continue to be favoured.
Access to Capital
The collapse of SVP caused more than a ripple in the financial markets, and we witnessed decreased demand for tech talent with companies seeking financing at the series A to C ranges. Anecdotal data suggested that earlier seed-stage companies were getting access to capital, indicating that investors were more comfortable placing investments in companies raising Series A funds after we pass through the current economic down cycle. Aside from anything AI-related, Hydrogen, Health Care, and Health Tech sectors are seeing interested investors.
Early Indicators of a Rebound
In our business, sales and marketing are the first to scale back when facing economic headwinds and the first to scale up at the bottom of the market. While some fund managers have indicated declining sales in their portfolios, we see a modest increase in demand for sales and marketing people. It is too early to predict, but we are more optimistic.
The Nitty Gritty of Engineering and Developer Talent
June Tech market musings :
Higher response rates and a higher number of ‘active’ candidates
Quantity does not equal quality – this requires increased processing time to work through these ‘active’ candidates with often limited results
High-quality candidates (combining in-demand and current tech skills with EQ) are still hard to find, and when you do, they are in multiple interviewing processes
US companies continue to be active in recruiting local candidates
Continued demand for fully remote or hybrid scenarios – onsite requirements limit the pool significantly
Stability and true collaborative culture are higher on priority list now
Salary requirements for senior and experienced folks are not seeing significant changes; entry-level and intermediate-level engineers seem more flexible on compensation than six months ago, with training and growth opportunities being more important.
Continue to be in demand skills:
Experienced ML Engineers – with software coding skills in at least Python; even better if Java is added
Cloud/SaaS Senior Developers and Architects
Experienced Frontend Developers with B2B Enterprise level product experience – working with current JS frameworks and libraries, i.e. React/Redux, VUE, Typescript etc.
Scientifically oriented optimization engineers with a focus on mathematical optimization
Software engineers with firmware exposure (C/C++ languages) with ROS experience
Engineering executives with hands-on experience in NPI and moving products through the design phase to the development and scaling process.
Engineering executives with experience in the financing and fundraising process.
Easier to hire:
Microsoft ecosystem engineers
Manual QA analysts as well as BA’s
Net new entries into the Canadian work market- the flow of immigrants opened up post-Covid. More folks with relevant qualifications and tech experience but lacking North American work experience and perhaps communication skills are still available to companies with a culture to embrace the diversities.
Secrets of Building a Winning Engineering Culture
Recently, ACETECH and Corporate Recruiters hosted a workshop on building a winning engineering culture for Vancouver Tech CEOs. Below is a set of key takeaways from each speaker.
Recently, ACETECH and Corporate Recruiters hosted a workshop on building a winning engineering culture for Vancouver Tech CEOs. Below is a set of key takeaways from each speaker.
Noel Pullen
CEO at Map Labs
https://www.linkedin.com/in/noelpullen/
Start with Trust; Connect the team with your customers, to each other and to the community.
Celebrate what you encourage, recognize achievements, and elevate people’s status
Mehrsa Raeiszadeh
Co-Founder/COO at MintList
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mehrsa-raeiszadeh-03b6812a/
We don’t have employees, we have investors. We need to insure they’re invested and are aware of what’s happening in the business as a whole; keeping them super engaged.”
“Celebrate” the success is great! Give credit to the team, ex. Tagging them on the LinkedIn posts for the awards you win or big company news.
Keith Cerny
Partner at Fresh Founders
https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithcerny/
In an era of superhero movies, far too many companies seek superhero engineers outside. Develop them inside with comprehensive training and the right incentives.
The purpose of R&D is to inspire the organization; build internal raving fans by delivering surprising innovation and great products will be the outcome
Andre Viljoen
VP, R&D at Change Healthcare
https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreviljoen
Know why engineers come: work with people you respect and can learn from so you can grow. Do what you are good at and make a difference.
Know why people leave: anonymity, irrelevance, immeasurement
Miranda Alldritt
Chief Business Officer at Bioform; previously President at Copperleaf
https://www.linkedin.com/in/miranda-alldritt-5775b55/
Seeing a path to success and focusing on what matters
Talent is everywhere, networks are powerful and diversity matters
What Is Really Happening In BC's Tech Labour Market
December 2022
Corporate Recruiters specializes in building technology companies, and we are at the epicentre of the supply & demand for tech talent in Vancouver. What we read in the news often doesn’t reflect what we see on the ground. We thought you might be interested in hearing about our experiences.
Some Good Talent is Coming onto the Market, But Not as Much as You Might Think
This may sound heartless, but HR analytics software enables companies to measure performance better and prioritize who stays and who can be let go. In the 90s and 2000s, large companies didn’t have the granular detail they have now, and there were a lot of real gems on the market. So don’t expect history to repeat itself – the game has changed.
Hiring Freeze? Maybe – Maybe Not
The BIG 5 tech giants know who they want to keep and who they want to recruit. So even with the announced hiring freezes, we have found that our list of top talent is engaged in multiple competing interviews that include these companies.
War Stories
A local tech company had laid off a significant number of employees and had to rehire about one-third because they couldn’t meet capacity needs.
A US company spent enormous money on hiring a net-new, world-class development team in Vancouver. Unfortunately, they did not close their anticipated financing and released the entire team. However, the team was picked up by a competitor en masse in less than 30 days! We are not exaggerating – that really happened! We have the receipts.
Demand for Tech Talent is Asymmetrical
Pre-pandemic, the tech world was awash in cash, and except for a brief two-month hiatus in April-May 2020, the hiring splurges raged on. Many companies over-hired, and they will have to part with some good people. Startups and midsized tech companies tend to have lean back office and operations teams, so the impact of layoffs is less noticeable on the market. However, there continues to be a need for more people with specific skills and a modest supply for others.
Sales & Marketing
This seems counterintuitive, but we tend to see the sales and marketing teams affected first in a downturn. Also, top performers are rarely let go but tend to be more receptive to opportunities when the economy changes.
Typically, 20%-25% of sales & marketing teams are laid off in a downturn.
The difference from past experience is US companies are hiring remote salespeople for cross-border regions. This is picking up some of the slack.
Sales cycles are growing longer so some top salespeople will miss quotas and may not wait around for incentive bonuses to pay out.
Senior sales & marketing leadership roles are staying open longer as companies stretch budgets. As a result, good sales & marketing people are remaining on the market longer, so there is an opportunity to upgrade your team here.
Technical Product Managers Remain in High Demand.
Product Managers are closely tied to the product lifecycle, so there are fewer layoffs.
Experienced technical product managers are always in high demand. There is never a surplus of talent.
Vancouver’s product management talent pool is growing, and US companies are competing for our talent pool.
Engineering and Development Teams
From our perspective, the top five technical skill sets in demand are ranked as follows:
Senior ML Engineers (not rare but expensive and hard to recruit)
Senior SoC / ASIC engineers (The Chip Bill will juice demand even more)
Engineering Managers with hands-on ML / AI product design experience – (very rare)
Senior Data Engineers with Java & Python
DevOps and SRE engineers
JavaScript engineers (depending on the libraries/framework)
Microsoft ecosystem engineers are fairly plentiful and easier to recruit
Look Beyond the Company Name on the Resume!
Growth strategies for some companies are by acquisition rather than innovation. The Big 5 Tech Giants screen new hires up to ten times to ensure high quality. However, others come in through the back door via acquisition. Not all acquisitions have built viable products or have top talent.
Last Word
If you are looking to get a leg up on the competition and bring in exceptional talent, currently, we are seeing more quality people returning our calls with interest. However, it has never been easier to hire the wrong people without a thorough vetting process.